25.Nov.06
BEAST WARS REKINDLED
Chapter Nine: Old Player
The warrior walked alone through the forest, traveling through the massive stand
of trees. He had not been here in a long time, not since the first ancestors of
the trees in the forest had been planted. As he walked, he marveled at how
things had changed, and knew how the once desolate land had earned the name
"Great Forest."
As he walked towards his destination, the warrior's mind wandered. He could feel
on his psyche the tug of three separate personalities. One was the dominant
mind, the honorable warrior who had always been his true self. However, he could
still feel the faint influence of the other two. One was a hunter, a being who
lived for the thrill of stalking enemies and then engaging them in battle. And
the other...the other was a murderer, an insane monster that took glee in the
suffering and death of others.
He shook his head, trying to clear it such negative thoughts. Though the other
personas lay buried in the back of his mind, they would not influence him. If
anything, they helped him see the flaws of his true self, flaws that he had
spent centuries trying to correct.
All of which brought him back to his reason for being here: the signal he had
detected. He was astonished to detect a Cybertronian transmission after all
these years, having thought that only he survived the cataclysm that had morphed
this planet from the world he'd fought upon into the world it was now. He had to
investigate that transmission. If there were others of his kind, he would no
longer have to live in solitude. If there weren't...
Then he would destroy the transmitter to prevent his people from interfering
from this world any further.
With his mouth a line of grim determination, the Maximal/Predacon known as
Dinobot walked on.
The Freedom Fighters, Chaotix, and Maximals all sat in a clearing just outside
of Knothole, enjoying the summer weather. Everyone was relaxed, feeling good
about their recent victory over the Dark Legion and the Predacons. Now, with no
problems in sight, they had all taken time off for a little rest and relaxation.
Sonic and Sally lay flat on the ground next to each other, holding hands as they
watched the clouds. Every now and then, one of them would point at a cloud,
indicating a feature about it that made it look like something. They would then
get into a minor dispute as to what it looked like from their different points
of view. However, the squabbles never lasted long, and they always shared a
chuckle at their foolishness before starting up again.
Knuckles and Julie-Su were amusing themselves by sparring. Both were
accomplished martial artists, and when Knuckles held back on his super strength,
they were almost equally matched in such contests. However, rather than show
stern focus, their faces reflected enjoyment at their mutual interest.
Bunnie sat learning French from Antoine, who knew it as his first language.
However, she spent more time doing poor imitations of his accent. His own poor
efforts to imitate her southern drawl sent them both into fits of laughter, and
not much teaching was accomplished.
The remaining Mobians—Tails, Rotor, Espio, Mighty, Ray, Vector, and Charmy—were
engaged in a game of hide-and-seek. It proved an interesting game, as the
competitors were constantly using their various abilities to find more difficult
hiding spots. Unfortunately for Vector and Rotor, who kept ending up it, they
had no abilities to help them hide, and they had bad luck locating their
companions.
On a tree branch above the clearing, Knucklehead and Twinbrush sat together,
staring out across the forest. Occasionally they'd look down and smile at the
antics of their Mobian friends, but for the most part their attention was
focused on the landscape. If there was one thing the two had in common, it was a
love of natural scenery.
Pulling out his flute, Knucklehead cleaned it and tested it with a breath,
making sure it was still working properly. However, before he could put it to
his lips and begin a song, he picked something up on his long-range scanners.
Focusing, he detected the object moving in their direction.
"What is it?" Twinbrush asked, noticing Knucklehead's odd behavior.
Knucklehead shook his head. "Something's coming this way, but my sensors
can't identify it. I say we go take a closer look."
Twinbrush nodded, and the two lovers jumped down from their perch and headed
deeper into the forest. The others, noticing their exit, began to follow them
quietly.
Dinobot picked his way through the dense undergrowth, trying to be as
inconspicuous as possible. However, he had not factored in that any Transformers
he might be headed towards would have long range scanners, and thus was quite
surprised when he looked through a gap in the trees ahead and saw Knucklehead
and Twinbrush looking in his direction. Seeing as how he was in dense tree
cover, they couldn't actually see him, but they could detect his presence. The
warrior realized instantly what they were, and was astonished when they spoke.
"Whoever you are in there, come out at once!" Knucklehead growled.
Though it was against his nature to be rude to anyone he didn't know, his recent
battle with the Guardian's Bane Mechanaut had made him cautious. Beings that
might be threats were best cowed quickly. If they turned out to be friendly,
then apologies would be made later.
Dinobot chuckled at the Maximal's manner, unimpressed. Like Knucklehead, Dinobot
also knew the foolishness of letting strangers catch you off guard. However,
whereas Knucklehead's strategy was pacify and apologize later, Dinobot's was
attack and ask questions later.
Knucklehead gasped as Dinobot emerged from the trees at incredible speed. For an
instant, time stood still as the two looked upon each other. Knucklehead noted
Dinobot's skeletal body, with bone white and blood-red armor covering his frame.
He had a long, bone-like, reptilian tail, and his fingers were razor sharp claws
from the feet of a Velociraptor. His gaze was also drawn to Dinobot's eyes. Both
were burning red, but while one was shaped like a normal robot eye, the other
was contained in an orb with a scope device attached.
What disturbed Knucklehead the most was that, although Dinobot was clearly a
Transformer, his technology was barely recognizable. The Echidna Maximal could
clearly see that his enemy was more advanced than he was. However, before he
could formulate how this was possible, Dinobot attacked.
Moving with the speed granted by his robotic nature and Velociraptor Beast Mode,
Dinobot seemed a blur as he slashed at Knucklehead with his claws. However,
Knucklehead reacted like lightning, catching the index claws on his spurs and
holding them in place. He then exercised his super strength, throwing Dinobot
into a nearby tree. Stunned by the Maximal leader's strength, Dinobot responded
with a laser beam from his left, orb-enclosed eye. It struck Knucklehead,
sending him flying.
Changing tactics, Dinobot transformed to Beast Mode, becoming a Velociraptor
covered in the same armor as his robot form. Moving with even greater speed, he
charged Knucklehead. In response, Knucklehead switched to Robot Mode, opening
fire with his knuckle missiles. The rockets slammed into Dinobot, exploding and
blinding him with a cloud of smoke. He paused instantly, waiting for the cloud
to clear. When it did, Knucklehead stood facing him, another pair of missiles
ready to fire. A buzzing noise behind him prompted him to turn. Behind him stood
Twinbrush in Robot Mode, her buzz saw online and spinning. Seeing that the odds
were against him, Dinobot decided to negotiate.
"Dinobot, Maximize!" He called, transforming into his robot form. The
other two, astonished, lowered their weapons. Seeing his chance, he spoke.
"Please, forgive my intrusion. I came here to investigate the transmission.
I didn't know that there were other Maximals functioning on this planet."
Calmed by his attitude, Knucklehead and Twinbrush transformed to Beast Mode.
Twinbrush then turned to a nearby group of bushes and spoke. "You can come
out now."
Sheepishly, the Freedom Fighters and Chaotix emerged from concealment. All of
them looked up in awe at Dinobot, who was the largest Transformer they'd ever
seen, standing a good two feet taller than Knucklehead. They were slightly put
off by his appearance, but the friendliness in his eyes removed their doubts.
Knuckles looked around at the group, then made a suggestion. "It looks like
we've got a new friend. What do you say we take him back to Knothole and show
him around?"
Dimitri fumed as he watched the surveillance images. When his sensors had
detected an active Transformer, he'd nearly cheered. However, his elation turned
to anger upon witnessing the new Transformer's encounter with the Maximals. Now
the newly revealed Dinobot was making his way back to Knothole, in the company
of those accursed do-gooders that had allied themselves with his troublesome
great-nephew.
From the shadows, Deathstreak and Speedbat watched as well. Dinobot was
certainly an impressive sight: tall, powerful, and composed of technology they
could not begin to guess at. One thing was clear: he was not someone they wanted
to fight.
Once they returned to Knothole, they all gathered around Dinobot as he began his
tale. He had revealed to them that he had been a combatant in the Beast Wars,
the first conflict between Maximals and Predacons that had taken place on Mobius
back when it was called Earth. Asking that they remain silent until he finished,
he started to speak.
He told them of his origins as a Predacon. He had joined the crew of Megatron, a
political revolutionary who had sought to establish the Predacons as rulers over
their home planet of Cybertron. To that end, he had assembled a crew and stolen
an artifact known as the Golden Disk, which gave information about Earth's past.
He had then traveled through time to prehistoric Earth, planning to change the
past so that Predacons would rule the future.
However, Megatron's plans had been thwarted by the intrusion of the Maximal
Optimus Primal and his crew. Pursuing Megatron's ship, they engaged it in a
battle over Earth. Both ships had been shot down, to land on a world that the
Transformers did not think was Earth. Upon detecting the dangerous levels of
radiation generated by Energon, an element that had mutated into Chaos Emeralds,
they had used DNA scanners to copy Beast Forms so as to survive in the harsh
environments.
Both crews assumed new names as they took on Beast Modes. Megatron's crew-sans
Dinobot-had become Terrosaur, Scorponok, Waspinator, and Tarantulas. Dinobot had
been one of them, but due to his believe that Megatron had botched their
efforts, he challenged him for leadership, and was exiled.
Emotion filled Dinobot's eyes as he spoke of the Maximal crew. Aside from
Optimus Primal, it had included Rhinox, Cheetor, and Rattrap, the latter of whom
Dinobot spoke of reverently. Dinobot had challenged Optimus for leadership,
seeking revenge on Megatron, but had ended up joining the Maximals instead.
Dinobot then spoke of the Beast Wars. Countless adventures and battles had taken
place, historic events that would never be considered history. He spoke of the
first encounter with the alien Vok, and of the arrival of new combatants. From
the small fleet of stasis pods that the Maximal ship had jettisoned, each
side had drawn two new recruits. The Maximals had gained the allegiance of
Tigatron and Airazor, while the Predacons brainwashed Blackarachnia and Inferno.
Dinobot then spoke of the Planetbuster, a Vok weapon that had been used by the
aliens in an attempt to wipe out the planet. Optimus Primal had given his life
to destroy it. However, the resulting quantum surge knocked the stasis pods from
orbit and mutated many combatants into beings known as Transmetals. These
enhanced Transformers proved to be more powerful than their original selves,
with the added capability of a vehicle mode.
After hearing them talk about Speedbat, Dinobot was able to identify her as a
Fuzor, one of a group of Transformers whose DNA scanners had malfunctioned and
scanned two patterns instead of one, creating hybrid Beast Modes. Two such
Transformers, the Maximal Silverbolt and the Predacon Quickstrike, had come into
the Beast Wars after the surge, taking the places of the slain Terrosaur and
Scorponok. Through a miracle of Rhinox's genius, Optimus Primal returned as a
Transmetal, adding more firepower to the Maximal ranks.
Dinobot spoke briefly concerning a brief defection back to the Predacons, which
had ended with his return to the Maximals. He then spoke of the Vok return, and
their abduction of Tigatron and Airazor. He talked of Rampage, the insane
immortal Maximal mass murderer who fell under Megatron's command. He then told
them, shockingly, of his own death, sacrificing himself to destroy the Golden
Disk and stop the Predacons from wiping humanity from existence!
He then told them of other events that he had not been present for. The Beast
Wars had continued, and the Maximal ship had been destroyed. However, they had
found a new base in the form of the Ark, an Autobot warship that had been shot
down. The Maximal mission became two-fold: battling the Predacons and protecting
their sleeping ancestors to prevent alterations to the time stream. As if to
prove his determination, Optimus had briefly taken the Spark of Optimus Prime
into his body, becoming "Optimal Optimus."
Dinobot spoke of the coming of Depth Charge, a bitter Maximal soldier who was
determined to destroy Rampage. He then told the story of his rebirth as a
Predacon hunter, created from a blank protoform, his original body's DNA, and
half of Rampage's Spark. The result had created Transmetal 2 technology, an
enhanced form of Transmetal tech with Megatron's personal touch. The same
changes had been administered to Cheetor, and then to Blackarachnia, who had
defected to the Maximals sometime previously. He told them of Megatron's insane
scheme of taking his namesake's Spark into his body, resulting in his
transformation into a dragon Transformer.
Lastly, Dinobot spoke of the coming of Tigerhawk, the Maximal who was created by
the Vok by fusing Tigatron and Airazor. The Predacon base had been destroyed, as
had every Predacon but Megatron, Dinobot himself, and another one named
Waspinator. Dinobot told of Rampage's death, which had resulted in his original
personality's reassertion. He spoke of the final battle, involving Megatron's
command of the Nemesis, and of the deaths of Tigerhawk and Depth Charge.
Finally, he told them about his rebellion against Megatron, which had crippled
the Nemesis and sent it flying to where it rested today, allowing the Maximals
to take Megatron into custody.
The group sat silently for a moment. Then Sonic spoke. "How'd you survive
the Nemesis' crash?"
Dinobot smiled wryly. "My Transmetal 2 body has regenerative abilities, and
I was able to recover from my injuries. When the cataclysm struck, the energy
released woke me up. After the planet calmed down, I tunneled my way out of the
mountain, and have been wandering the planet ever since."
With his tale over, he stood up. "Now, let's see this transmitter of
yours."
When he saw the device, Dinobot nodded in approval. "You have done an
excellent job." Rotor, hearing this praise, swelled with pride. "But I
know how to make contact with Cybertron more likely."
"How?" Tails asked. In answer, Dinobot bent down and whispered into
his ear. Tails' eyes widened, and he began fiddling with the machine. The
readout, which had shown a broadcast throughout the solar system, now focused
into a tight beam that stretched out into the galaxy.
Examining it, Sally whistled. "It's going to Cybertron, isn't it?"
Dinobot shrugged. "I gave him the approximate location of the Cybertronian
system. By narrowing the transmission beam along that vector, it gave it more
power and distance. It now stands a better chance of reaching Cybertron."
The group cheered their new ally, and Dinobot smiled. Suddenly, Knucklehead
tapped on his shoulder. Turning, the ancient Maximal looked at the Echidna
Transformer. Twinbrush spoke on behalf of herself and her love. "Dinobot,
Knucklehead and I know very little of Cybertron, and we were wondering if you'd
consent to teach us."
Dinobot's eyes widened. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and nodded.
"Very well. I will teach you. But I do not seek leadership. I swear fealty
to you Knucklehead, and acknowledge you as leader of this planet's Maximals."
Knucklehead blushed, honored by the warrior’s praise. He extended his hand to
shake Dinobot's, then looked at the clawed hand and quickly pulled back. This
set the other two chuckling, and before long, Knucklehead had joined them.
To be continued...